1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a network optimization system and, more particularly, to an optimization system for enabling supplementary service requests to be controlled and routed through the most optimal network resources, particularly when more than one network exists between end users and when the networks are geographically dispersed, such as being located in different countries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that modern telephone systems are able to provide a wide variety of convenience features or supplementary services to enhance calling convenience. For example, call redirection is a particular supplementary service typically used by callers and includes specific features such as call diversion and call transfer. Call diversion, also known as call forwarding, provides the caller the ability to program a telephone with a third party's number such that any calls to the forwarding party's telephone number will be automatically forwarded to the third party's number. Call transfer enables either the calling party or the called party to transfer the other party to a third telephone number.
Unfortunately, supplemental services, such as call redirection, do not always make the most efficient use of network resources. Furthermore, some supplementary services may fail or be improperly routed to the wrong destination because they cannot be performed by one or the other user involved in a connection. For example, if a user calls another user who is forwarded to a third party and the forwarding user performs the diversion, the network setup to the forwarded-to user may require more links than necessary. Similarly, if the calling party performs the diversion, the redirection number may be foreign or unknown in the calling party's system or network. This can happen when multiple inter-connected networks have numbering plan conflicts (i.e., duplicate numbers between networks). As such, the diversion will fail or reach the wrong party. Another example of usage occurs when there exists overload/high contention circuits/facilities between one network (or server) and another. There may not be an available circuit/facility for the calling server to make the call to the redirected-to server.
Therefore, what is needed is a system for enabling only the most appropriate and optimal usage of network resources when completing supplemental service redirection requests and for enabling the existing highly contented circuit to be retained and reused for the connection to the redirected-to server to ensure a greater degree of success in reaching the new destination.